The instant invention relates to an exercise mat ensemble adapted for Yoga and other exercise disciplines and the method of use of same.
Any activity that takes place on the ground or on the floor is made easier and more pleasant with the use of a mat or other padded surface. Early patents for such mats were designed for sleeping outdoors or for use at the beach. Later various sports required surfaces with different degrees of softness and a variety of athletic mats were developed. Yoga, having been practiced for many years by a limited following has only recently reached a broader segment of the population and has created a market for mats suited to the special requirements of this practice.
In U.S. Pat. No. 1,930,942, Pringle discloses a foldable combination of sheet and bag for use on the ground or on a deck chair. The sheet has side flaps that can be folded over the user for warmth. There is a cushion at one end of the sheet and a bag at the other. The sheet and cushion can be rolled or folded into the bag for carrying. A back rest can be used with the sheet and can be collapsed to fit into the bag which may also have a carrying strap attached. Another beach blanket assembly is taught by Glenn in U.S. Pat. No. 2,264,471. This one has a canvas bottom layer and a top layer of toweling. One end of the canvas is folded over and stitched to form one or more pockets which may be closed with zippers.
A foldable mat having a pad enclosed in fabric and a top cover layer, for use by a small child in a nursery school, is disclosed by Ybarra et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 3,774,249. A similar sleeping apparatus for use by adults is taught by Knobeloch in U.S. Pat. No. 4,601,076. This mat has a cover sheet that can be stored in a pocket at the foot end, and the mat can be rolled and tied for storage. See also U.S. Pat. No. 5,199,120 to Holmes; U.S. Pat. No. 5,720,057 to Duncan; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,141,805 to Fisher-Cohen et al. Carter et al. describes a padded mat with a pillow area and a built-in sound system for the ultimate in relaxation (U.S. Pat. No. 4,841,587). All of these products have padding between layers of fabric and in some systems a separate cover layer. They also have a separate carrying bag or the mat can be folded or rolled into an attached bag.
Swanger et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 6,065,164, teaches a fabric cover for a child""s play mat. The cover is made of a washable fabric that is at least part cotton. The cover is in the form of an envelope with a Velcro(copyright) fastener at one end. A child""s rest mat that consists of a foam pad enclosed in a removable fabric cover is disclosed by Alonso in U.S. Pat. No. 5,203,041. The cover is stitched around three sides and there is an extra flap of fabric at the open end which is folded over the pad to completely enclose it. Three sets of lines are stitched into the fabric to form fold lines so the mat can be folded in a uniform manner. Two handles on the underside provide easy carrying means. Scott discloses a similar washable cover for an exercise mat. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,099,530) The cover has one pocket for the insertion of a pillow and another pocket for a blanket.
A large mat for use by gymnasts and wrestlers is taught by Baldwin et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 4,137,583. A frame is made up of a number of segments so the size of the mat may be changed as needed. Cushioning pad segments are placed within the frame and a cover with elastic tie down devices all around is placed on top. The tie downs fit into notches in the frame to hold the cover taut. This mat system can be made large enough to cover most of a gym floor. Bramble, Jr. (U.S. Pat. No. 3,262,134) designed a mat for use by athletes such as high jumpers. A cover contains two thick foam cushions, each encased within a shield and forming a square mat. The shields have openings so that air can be let in and out to retain the resiliency of the foam. There are latex strips on the underside to prevent slippage on the floor.
A simple exercise mat made up of two sheets of fabric quilted together with a foam pad between them is disclosed by Westgor in U.S. Pat. No. 4,738,545. This mat has a double stitched channel around the entire periphery with a drawstring within the channel. When the exerciser is finished the gym clothes and shoes can be placed in the center of the mat and the drawstrings pulled causing the mat to be drawn into a carrying bag.
The prior art disclosed covers for mats that formed envelopes into which the mats had to be inserted. The insertion cannot be accomplished quickly and reversibly during the course of an exercise period. Other systems described secured mat covers which also cannot be quickly and easily removed and replaced.
Various mats for use by Yoga participants are available from matsmatsmats.com on the internet. This source reveals the standard vinyl sponge foam mat in several colors, kits with several components, and a tote bag as well as handled tote bags to contain the mats. Each item can be purchased separately. Yoga mats and tote bags are also available from other internet sources. Mats, yoga blocks, stretching straps and canvas tote bags may be purchased from many sporting goods shops. Some sets consisting of a tote bag and mat are also available.
None of the products currently on the market provide a mat with an absorbent cover. None provide a simple mat and a cover which enables the cover to be easily removed and replaced during the exercise session. None provide an enforced area for headstands and other positions, none provide a meditation blanket, nor do they offer roll-up capabilities that create a self-contained carry bag. There is a need for a flexible yoga mat ensemble that can accommodate all of needs of the variations of yoga exercises and positions as well as providing a meditation blanket while remaining compact and easy to transport.
The present invention may provide an exercise mat ensemble that may be designed for the yoga practitioner, but that may be used for many other forms of exercise. A standard padded vinyl mat, often called the xe2x80x9csticky matxe2x80x9d may be provided, as well as a washable cover sheet. The cover sheet may be foldable to provide more cushioning for certain positions or it may have extra length that may be folded over to provide the cushioning for head stands, and seated, kneeling and shoulder positions. A strap that may be used for stretches may also be used as a carrying strap during transport. The cover sheet may rest on top of the sticky mat so that it may be removed and replaced quickly as needed. The same cover sheet may also be used as a meditation blanket. The cover sheet and strap may be available without the mat for persons already in possession of the sticky mat.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an ensemble that contains all of the elements needed for a full yoga regimen.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a sticky mat cover that is soft, absorbent and washable.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a mat cover that has excess length so that it can be folded over to form added support for certain exercises and positions.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a strap that can be used for stretching and also as a carrying strap for transporting the ensemble.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an ensemble that contains materials that can be used for all of the varied yoga exercises and positions in one complete set.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a complete ensemble of yoga materials that can be quickly and compactly rolled into a single transportable unit.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a complete ensemble of yoga materials that is easy to set up, easy to change from one mode to another, and easy to pack into a single transportable unit.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide at least one component of the ensemble that may be used as a meditation blanket.
The present invention is an exercise mat ensemble for use by participants in exercise regimens that involve a variety of floor exercises. The ensemble comprises a padded rubberized rectangular mat having two longitudinal sides and two transverse sides, a proximal end and a distal end and a soft absorbent fabric cover of the same shape as the mat and being and at least one half inch longer than the mat on each of three sides. The fourth transverse side of the cover at the proximal end being substantially longer than one half inch. The cover completely conceals the mat on all four sides when placed on the mat. The ensemble may be used with the cover over the mat and the mat may be used alone, the cover being easily removed from the mat and just as easily replaced on the mat as needed to perform the exercises. The mat and cover, with the cover on top, may be rolled together from their distal ends for transport and storage and the longer end of the cover overlays the mat.
An exercise mat ensemble for use by participants in exercise regimens that involve a variety of floor exercises, where the ensemble comprises a padded rubberized rectangular mat having two longitudinal sides and two transverse sides, a proximal end and a distal end and a soft absorbent fabric cover of the same shape as the mat and being at least one half inch longer than the mat on each of the four sides so as to completely conceal the mat on all four sides when placed thereon. The ensemble may be used with the cover over the mat and the mat may be used alone. The cover is easily removed from the mat and just as easily replaced thereon as needed to perform the exercises, and the cover may be partially folded or rolled at one end to form a cushion for some of the exercises.
The mat and cover with cover on top may be rolled together from their distal ends so that the upper face of the cover is completely concealed within the roll and the roll may be transported and stored.
A method of performing a series of exercises and positions on a flat horizontal surface which comprises the steps of obtaining a padded rubberized rectangular mat having two longitudinal sides and two transverse sides, a proximal end and a distal end, obtaining a soft absorbent fabric cover of the same shape as the mat and being at least one half inch longer than the mat on each of the four sides so as to completely conceal the mat when placed thereon, placing the mat on the flat horizontal surface, performing exercises and positions upon the mat, placing the cover over the mat so that the mat is completely concealed thereunder, performing exercises and positions upon the cover, folding a portion of the cover back and upon itself to form a cushion, performing exercises and positions upon the cover utilizing the cushion, unfolding the folded portion of the cover and rolling a portion of the cover starting from one end to form a bolster, performing exercises and positions upon the cover utilizing the bolster, unrolling the bolster so that the cover completely conceals the mat thereunder, turning back the cover and reclining on the mat and bringing the cover over the body as a meditation blanket, rising and replacing the cover over the mat, rolling the cover and mat together from their distal ends until completely rolled and the upper surface of the cover is completely enclosed within the roll, transporting the cover and mat to a place of storage, and storing the cover and mat.
The present invention also incorporates an exercise mat cover ensemble for use with a padded rubberized rectangular mat having two longitudinal sides and two transverse sides. The ensemble and mat are for use by participants in exercise regimens that involve a variety of floor exercises. The ensemble comprises a soft absorbent fabric cover of the same shape as the mat and being at least one half inch longer than the mat on each of three sides and the fourth transverse side at the proximal end being substantially longer than one half inch. The cover completely conceals the mat on all four sides when placed thereon. The ensemble also incorporates a non-elastic strap that is substantially longer than twice the width of the cover. The cover may be used atop the mat and the mat may be used alone. The cover is easily removed from the mat and just as easily replaced thereon as needed to perform the exercises. The proximal end of the cover may be rolled or folded to provide additional cushioning for certain exercises. The strap may be used to assist in certain exercises and the cover may be placed on top of the mat with the strap placed across the distal transverse end of the cover as the cover and mat are rolled together from their distal ends so that the strap projects from both sides of the resulting roll, and the longer end of the cover overlaps the mat which is completely enclosed. The ends of the strap may be connected for ease of transport and storage.